Book by oldest survivor of racial riots brings back painful memories
TULSA, Oklahoma – A recently released book authored by Viola Fletcher — the oldest known survivor of the Tulsa race massacre – has revived the memories of one of the worst racial riots of American history.
The massacre of the Black population in Tulsa, Oklahoma took place on May 31, 1921, and lasted two days.
On Tuesday, 109-year-old oldest living survivor of the racial massacre, Fletcher, released a book with her grandson titled Don’t Let Them Bury My Story.
The book describes how the racial riots affected her life.
Even 100 years later, the families of victims of racial violence are still waiting for justice and compensation.
Historians estimate that about 300 people, most of them Black, were killed.
Estimates show that10,000 Black people were left homeless, and the cost of the property damage amounted to more than $1.5 million.
Despite the severity of the incident, the massacre was barely mentioned in history books until 1997, when a state commission was formed to document it.
The commission’s final report was released on February 28, 2001. It proposed that the state of Oklahoma pay $33 million in compensation to the 121 surviving members.
Tulsa County district judge is yet to decide whether the last living survivors of the massacre can pursue the lawsuit.
In April 2002, a private religious charity paid a total of $28,000 to the survivors or just over $200 per person.
In 2010, the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park opened in the Greenwood District to commemorate the massacre.
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